Securing means for spiral puttees and the like



J. S. OTT- SECURING MEANS FOR SPIRAL PUTTEES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1921.

Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

uniranerarss JOSEPH s. err, on THE UNITED srarns ARMY.

SECURING MEANS FOR SPIRALPUTTEES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn- S. O'r'r, a cit-izenof the United States of America, United States Army, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Sccuring Means for Spiral Puttees and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to securing means for spiral puttees and the like; and the nature and objects of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation and description of the accompanying drawings the ankle upwardly to a point below the knee, and the length of non-elastic'fastening tape secured to that endof the nonelastic strip or band which forms the last turn on the leg. In use the puttee is wound around the leg and several turns of the fastening tape are taken over and around the last winding of the strip or band f0rmin the puttee, and the end of the tape is eit er forced under the last winding of the band, or it is forced under, between or around the several turns of the fastening tape, to secure thep'uttee in proper position upon the leg.

In applying this type of non-elastic puttee it is necessary to wind the puttee around and onto theleg with a certain amount of tension so that it will snugly fit and conform to the shape of the leg but without binding the leg or stopping the circulation. Expeii once has shown those familiar withthc use of this non-elastic type'of puttee, that when the puttee is wound onto the legwith the proper amount of tension, and the fastening tape is in puttee securing position there around with the end of the tape forced under the last winding of the puttee or under the turns of the tape, the use by the wearer'in walking or other exercise of the leg, causes the puttee to lose the tension with which it was wound onto the leg and to come par- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. lit i922, 1921. Serial No. 467,486. y

tially unwound, or causes the end of the fastening tape to comeunsecured and permit the puttee to completely unwind and sag or fall from the leg. This loss of tension in the puttee as applied, isdue to the curve and contour of the leg over which the puttee is wound, and to the pressure exerted on the puttee by movement of the leg and consequent expanding and contracting of the le muscles.

llhe pressure exerted by the movement of the leg pulls upon the windings of the puttee and draws the tucked or forced in end of the fastening tape from secured position and results in the displacement, sagging or uu winding of the puttee as referred to.

After the operation of winding the puttee upon the leg and taking the several turns of the fasteningtape around the last windin of the puttee, it is necessary to firmly ho d the fastening tape with one hand in order to maintain the proper tension upon the puttee, while forcing the free end of the winding tape under the last winding of the puttee or between the turns of the tape, to secured position with the other hand. Any attemptsto tie the end of the tape or take several turns between theturns of the tape necessitates use of both'hands and release of tension of the puttee, as well as being. impractical when the puttee is removed,

The present invention has particular reference to spiral puttees of the non-elastic type, such as hereinbefore referred to, and contemplates the provision of securing means at the ends of the fastening tapes of nonelastic puttees for securing the tapes and puttees in position upon the legs of the wearer. The invention includes. among its objects; to provide a simple, removablyattached securing means on the ends of the fastening tapes of non-elasticputtees which can be readily secured in operative puttee securing position, and detached therefrom, by slight pressure of one handof the user; to provide such means in the form of a hook formed of a single piece "of material and adapted for removable attachment to all forms of fastening tapes of the general type of the non-elastic puttee hereinbefore identil puttee.

means of the invention the legs with the proper amount of tension and without the possibility of the tapes be-- coming unfastened and the resulting placement or unwlnding of the pntteesi to provide securing means for puttees' oi-the invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements asv more fully and particularly set forth andpointed out hereinafter. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Fig. l is a perspective view of a leg having a spiral puttee of the non-elastic type wound thereon and provided with an embodiment of the securing means of my invention attached thereto and maintaining the puttee in applied position. v V i Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention applied to the end of a fastening tape and showing a portion of the body. or vband ofthe puttee.

Fig 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the securing means of the invention, showingfin dotted linesthe end loop formed on the fastening tape in which the means is Fig. i is an end elevation of the securing means of the invention detached from the F ig. 5 is a top plan view of the securing detached from the puttee; p

In the accompanying drawings I show one form or non-elastic.spiral 'puttee asillustrative of the general type to which the present inventionhas particular reference, and it is to be understood that I do not desire or intend to limit the inventiontothe' combination and use with the specific shape and-form of puttee disclosed in the accompanying drawings by way of a designation of this general type.

The illustrated example of a put-tee to which the invention is applicable by conibination and use therewith, comprises the strip or band of non-elastic material and the comparatively narrow length of non-elastic fastening tape'2, of considerable length with respect to the band1,.which'arrangement is well known and understood by those familiar with'this art. In Fig. 1, of the accompanying drawings, I show the putt'ee ap plied to the leg A of the wearer by winding the band 1 spirally upwardly around the leg A,-fron1 a point just below the knee, and formingthe partially overlapping windings l completely covering the leg, as herein.-

.be'fere referred to and explained. The end of the upper or last winding of the band 1 has the fastening tape2 secured thereto, and in applied posltion several turns of the tape 2 are secure-the puttee in proper applied position on the leg, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

The invention, provides securing means 3 reinovably secured in an eye or loop 2 which is formed at the free end ofthe' fastening tape Zand adapted to removably receive and confine the means 3 to the end of the tape 2.. The securing 'means 3 is preferably forinedof a single piece of material and comprises the bar 3 having the ends th'ere'ogl turned inwardly to provide the. tape retaining lengths 3 extending a distance along, parallel with, and spaced irom' the bar 3?. The, retaining lengths 3 terminate a distance apart in similar hooks consisting of the shanks a and the bills 4-K The shanks 4: or

these hooks are at approximate right an- I gles to the bar 3 and substantially parallel with each other and provide a space 5- therebetween through which the, loop Q of the tape 2 ispassed in removing and attaching taken around the upper winding I to the securing means 3 from and to the tape 2. 7

The -:harpened points for easy'insertion into the naterial or" the tape 2 and also have a slight nward eurvejor bend toward the bar 3". The effect of'the foregoing constructionis to providealoop having anop ening 5 at one side and a pair. of parallel hooks, spaced apart and extending outwardly from the 0 en side of the loop. I

he loops 2 of the fastening tapes 2 are formed teu'es and sewing, or otherwise securing these ends tothe bodies ofthetapes, respectively. One of the many advantages of puttees tormediof non-elastic material consists in the fact that such material may be'freely washed without in' any manner damaging or spoiling the puttee, and the provisonjof the loops-2 at the ends of the fastening tapes of {the puttees permits of the ready removal and attachment of the securin means of the invention when it is desired to wash the puttees. The securing means 3 are attached to the fastening tapes by passing the loops 2 through the opening h, which are of less width than the tapes,'tl'1en extending the loops to normal width with the bights thereof confined around the bars 8 by the retain ing lengths 3'5. as will be clearly understood by reference toFigs. 2 and 3 of. the drawings. The removal of the securing means 3 is performed in the same manner by passing the loops between the openings 5 and with drawing the means "3 therefrom.

In the use of non-elastic putteesprovided with the securing means ofthe invention as described, the bands 1 are wound. upon the legs of the wearer in the usualmanner and several turns of .the fastening tapes2 are taken around the last windingsof the bands, then the bills 4 of the hooks are forced into billsaof the hooks are ii ormedwith l by turning back the free ends ofthe the turns of the tapes therebeneath, respectively, by slight pressure of a hand of the wearer, and the puttees are fastened into proper applied position. It is understood that the securing means 3 are so attachedto the fastening tapes 2, that with the puttees in applied position, the bills 4 of the hooks extend inwardly toward the turns of the tapes therebelow. In order to remove the puttees when fastened as described above, it is only necessary to apply slight under pressure, with the thumb, for example, to the under sides of the fastening tapes 3 and draw or force the hooks from engagement with the tapes. After the hooks are disengaged the puttees may be removed and rolled in the usual manner.

The provision of the double hooks in each securing means prevents lateral movement and the possibility of the ends of the tapes becoming unfastened when unequal forces or pressures act on one edge or the other of the ends of the tapes.

It will be noted that the bills 43 of the hooks are of comparatively short length in order to prevent blows or pressure from forcing'them through the thicknesses of the fastening tape and band of the puttee therebelow into the leg of the wearer.

As hereinbefore explained, it is necessary to apply non-elastic puttees with the proper amount of tension and it was pointed out wherein the manner of securing the existing non-elastic types presented certain difliculties and disadvantages, so that it will be readily seen and understood that in applying puttees provided with the securing means of the invention they may be wound upon the leg with the desired tension and then by a single movement and slight pressure of the hand be instantly fastened on the leg without varying the desired tension. In use upon the wearer, the pressure exerted by the various positions of the legs and the expanding and contracting of the muscles, aided by the slight curve of the hooks, will firmly maintain the fastening tapes securely fastened with the puttee in applied position and without the ever present possibility of the puttee sagging or unwinding as wit I the existing types of non-elastic puttees.

Although particularly applicable to and overcoming the disadvantages of the pre vailing types of non-elastic puttees, the present invention may be applied to elastic puttecs with satisfactory results, although such puttees have been found very unsatisfactory and generally impractical by those familiar with and using spiral puttees It is also evident that various modifications and departures might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosure hereof. Desiring to protect my invention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claim is:

1. Securing means for spiral puttees, comprising a bar having retaining lengths substantially parallel with and spaced from said bar, the said retaining lengths extending inwardly toward each other along the major portion of the length of said bar and terminating a distance apart adjacent the central portion of said bar to provide a space between the ends thereof, the said bar adapted to be inserted through the end loop of a spiral. puttee fastening tape with said retaining lengths extending eXteriorly and transversely across the tape to confine said bar thereto against movement transversely thereof, and spaced hooks extending from said retaining lengths for engagement with the adjacent turn of the puttee fastening tape to secure the puttee in wrapped position,

2. Securing means for spiral puttees, comprising a bar adapted to be inserted through the end loop of a spiral puttee fastening tape, retaining lengths extending from the ends of said bar inwardly toward the center thereof and adapted to lie on the exterior and transversely of the fastening tape loop, said retaining lengths extending inwardly toward each other along said bar, substanstantially parallel therewith and spaced therefrom, to and terminating a distance apart, and spaced hooks extending outwardly from the inner ends of said retaining lengths, respectively, the said hooks comprising shanks and relatively short, slightly inwardly turned hooks adapted to engage the adjacent under turns of a puttee fastening tape in wrapped position of the puttee.

3. Securing means for spiral puttees, comprising a bar, retaining lengths extending from the end portions of said bar inwardly toward each other along said bar substan tially parallel therewith and spaced therefrom, the said retaining lengths terminating a distance apart andzforming spaces along and between said bar and retaining lengths, and spaced hooks extending outwardly from the inner ends of said retaining lengths, the said hooks comprising shanks, and bills slightly turned inwardly toward said retaining lengths, the spaces between said retaining lengths and. said bar adapted to receive a puttee and a space between the ends of said lengths and said hooks providing for the passage of the puttee in removing the same to and from the spaces along said bar.

Josnrn s. o'rr, 

